Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most significant contribution to the world of mystery fiction was his creation of the most famous inspector of all time, Sherlock Holmes. There have been countless authors who have continued adding their own Holmes stories to a lengthy list of new mysteries, but none mirrors the success that Laurie R. King has enjoyed.

ISLAND OF THE MAD marks the 18th work from King that features an older Sherlock Holmes and his much younger wife, Mary Russell. Russell holds her own against her shrewd husband and seems to grow more clever and outgoing with each successive appearance. In this latest installment, set in post-WWI 1920s England, we find the couple drawn to an old friend who requests their help in finding her missing aunt.

Ronnie Fitzwarren is concerned because her aunt, Lady Vivian Beaconsfield, has disappeared. She was a patient at Bedlam, the infamous name for the insane asylum that is part of the Bethlem Royal Hospital. Also nowhere to be found is Vivian’s favorite nurse, Rose Trevisan. Vivian initially had been sent to Bedlam as a result of continued violent outbursts directed at her half-brother, Edward, the Marquess of Selwick. She had actually received a one week's home leave to attend his 50th birthday only to go missing shortly thereafter.

"ISLAND OF THE MAD pieces things together like any Sherlock Holmes novel, and once again validates Laurie R. King as the preeminent Holmes writer working today."

Russell and Holmes are intrigued, especially since Bedlam is not an easy place to break out of, and willingly accept the case. Over the years, Russell has become quite good at detecting and even has some strengths that nicely complement her famous husband. They find that the best way to investigate the matter is for Russell to get herself admitted to Bedlam as a patient and check things out from the inside. Maybe due to her intellectual superiority to your average Bedlam patient, she is able to make her escape easily. Now, recognizing that it’s possible to break out, she and Holmes need to find out where Vivian and Rose are and why.

At one point, Holmes refers to Bedlam as being Dickensian. This is ironic, considering that one of the most famous lines uttered by Charles Dickens' character, Ebenezer Scrooge, was “I'll retire to Bedlam.” All clues point to Vivian and Rose having fled to Venice, Italy. I love King’s descriptions of people and places, specifically when she refers to Venice as “a city with a feminine face over masculine muscles.” She truly has a way with words.

Italy is a country in post-war turmoil. The Fascist party, under the influence of Il Duce himself, Benito Mussolini, is in control. The Blackshirts are clearly evident in Venice when Russell and Holmes arrive there. What they find particularly interesting is that one of the Blackshirts bears a strong resemblance to Edward. Why would Vivian's half-brother be in the same location to where she purportedly escaped?

Russell and Holmes decide to take on two separate pieces of the investigation in order to quickly cover all of Venice. Part of Russell's search involves a visit to the island of Poveglia, where a mental institution exists, hence the nickname “Island of the Mad.” Holmes restricts his part of the investigation to the various wealthy and politically influential circles within Venice. King has infused her series with famous characters from time to time, and it was delightful to see Holmes team up with none other than American composer and songwriter Cole Porter.

Russell learns of a patient by the name of Dalser who may very well be Vivian under an assumed name. Holmes and Porter are able to weave within those who are sympathetic to the Fascist uprising in Italy in an effort to identify whether or not Edward had any affiliation with them. Both sides of the investigation reveal various secrets that together compose a picture of what actually happened. Was Vivian on the run from Bedlam, or was there another reason for her escape to Venice? ISLAND OF THE MAD pieces things together like any Sherlock Holmes novel, and once again validates Laurie R. King as the preeminent Holmes writer working today.